Taylor Sullivan; On her Own

Taylor Sullivan Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:47 pm

Born into a well-off family in the city of brotherly love, Taylor enjoyed the perks of growing up being the youngest child of two. Her older brother, Michael, was just two years older than her and they maintained a good relationship throughout middle school. Being the younger sister always had its perks when your old brother was only a couple grades above you. She felt protected to be around him and they both looked out for one another’s well being. When at home, her parents devised game nights and planned family dinners. Time was spent between all four members of the family to ensure healthy, trusting relationships were present for them all. The times that were spent having fun and sharing conversations only proved to bring them all closer, building their family and strengthening their bonds. Both Taylor and her brother were involved in sports; swimming was her specialty as an adolescent, breaking one school record for the 200 meter butterfly. The years before high school were the highlight of Taylor’s life; the memory of innocence and being naïve was something she always envied as she got older. Of course, the Sullivans had their share of fights, misunderstandings, and plain pre-teenager rebelliousness – but at the end of the day Taylor always knew blood was thicker than water.

Being a fourteen year old girl brings a world of changes. Not only was that the time of entering high school, but the whole fitting in debacle and escaping the “freshman” stereotype were obstacles that everyone seemed to encounter. Taylor was no exception and, with a little help from Michael, she was ready to face that challenge head on. Making friends came naturally for her and establishing her niche in the first month of high school felt like a true victory. Nothing would prepare her for the events of a mild October night. A once happy teenage girl would have her world turned upside down as she woke up and found both her parents’ murdered while the Sullivan children were sleeping. The youngest of the Sullivans was horrified to find her parents in their room, ripped apart with no ounce of recognition that it was them. Hazel eyes quickly scanned the room as her stomach decided to clench and her diaphragm to stop contracting. Pieces of flesh covered the room, but deep down she knew that most of the skin that was ripped off was gone, unaccounted for. Her instincts of generation after generation of Protector blood kicked in as she assessed the situation. Tears filled her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. Jagged edges on the skin would indicate being torn from the bone, and not hearing anything during the night implied that whatever came in was discrete and could keep a low profile. She couldn’t believe she was even thinking these horrible scenarios in her mind or even profiling her parents murderer. Unable to look at the scene any longer, she immediately ran to the bathroom, empting the contents of what was remaining in her stomach. She admired Michael, for being asleep and not seeing as much as she did. Shortly after, the police were called by a hysterical pair of teenagers; and at that point their parents became one of the bloodiest murders in Philadelphia's history. So much for the theory of brotherly love, huh? This was the case that had the police scratching their heads. No fingerprints, no sign of forced entry – the police did a bang up job trying to figure out who the murderer was and bring said person to justice. Taylor knew better, knowing something was off about this.

Taylor and her brother went through the whole mess of finding a close relative to live with and starting their lives over – new state, new lives, new attitude. To start the transformation process from over-night orphans back to “successful” teenagers they once were seemed to be nothing more than a mere fantasy. Moving to New Jersey with their aunt and uncle was their first step. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but seeing how the other option was foster care, they’d take whatever was available. Over the months, Michael seemed to drift away from her; leaving early for school and not coming back until later at night. She buried herself in books – reading up on folklore and mythical creatures. The scene of her parents’ death was permanently engrained in her mind as she read book after book of “myths”. Making friends didn’t have the same importance as it did nor did letting her aunt and uncle become her new “parents” ever become an option. Months passed, and the dynamic between the two siblings changed dramatically as Michael prepared to graduate from high school. Once thought to be a protective, fun older brother was now cold, distant and didn’t seem to care about anything other than leaving every shred of his “old” life behind; including her. She couldn’t blame him for anything that he did. As graduation day neared, Taylor seemed to be picking fights in school; having an uncanny ability to fight when she felt cornered. It was even unknown to her as to why she was such a good fighter as well as why it was so easy to believe in the stories that she had read. Teachers were worried about her and students learned that she wasn’t the best to be around. As per-request of one of the counselors – she was introduced to a healthier way to deal with her heartache and anger: kickboxing. Graduation day came and as she expected, it was the last day she heard from or had seen her brother. To this day, she thinks about him and hopes he is okay.

Everything was relatively quiet until the end her junior year. Taylor had settled in to her new found passion, becoming one of the best in the class. Jumping rank after rank, she honed her skill and continued her research in the supernatural. Not one step closer to figuring out what had killed her parents, Taylor’s frustration was starting to get the better of her. After an intense day of sparring and grappling, she was on her a nice job home when she was stopped by a man in a suit. After the initial feeling of wanting to fight him, he very quickly caught her attention by questioning her about her parents. From that one moment, talks of Arcane Protectors, magical families, and monsters haunting the shadows and walk amongst us – she was quiet. Her destiny had landed right in her lap and all she could think up was he escaped the loony bin and needed to go back. However, deep down she knew it; that there were too many coincidences, reacting the way she did to her parents murders, and feeling as comfortable as she did as she learned how to fight.

The years to come would include graduating high school, harnessing techniques, learning how to hunt, learning about her ancestors, and mastering how to use weapons that she thought she’d never use in a lifetime. Night after night she would put her life on the line and it would inspire her to keep moving forward. Night after night a family could sleep safer at night because of her. Night after night, she would come closer to the thing that killed her parents. The hunt was exhilarating and would bring her all over the nation. However, while following a lead it would lead her to one city – Seattle, Washington.

Alchemy – Seattle, Washington
With a new town, Taylor was excited and nervous at the same time. For someone who was used to going from one place to the next, she knew in her heart Seattle would be different. She was informed by the same man who told her about her ancestry, upon arriving to Seattle, that the rest of the Arcane families would be in the same place. As if there wasn’t enough pressure on her already she had to figure out who the families consisted of and proceed to do her job. Given a piece of paper with the last names on it, she knew nothing about who they were or where they were even located. Being at the age of 21 had its advantages and disadvantages; sure, she had only been training for four years but she also grew into her role as an Arcane Protector. This would be her first time coming in contact with the families she had heard and read so much about. Her past meant a lot to her and she cherished that with her life and wouldn’t let that history disappear. It was now her job to keep these people safe; not just the Arcane families, but the people of Seattle as well. It was like killing two birds with one stone. Seattle might have been a new surrounding, but it was the same concept – kill or be killed. Now, the only thing was, she knew of the families, but didn’t know exactly how to go about finding them. Her first couple of weeks seemed to be dead end after dead end and nothing was going right for her. She set herself up in a small apartment and managed to get a job at one of the independently owned gyms – but no huge big breaks. It wasn’t until she walked into an alley tracking a Shadow Stalker that she had her first encounter with a member of the Arcane families. Coming face to face with a monster didn’t necessarily surprise her – but it was the young man standing right there that got her adrenaline pumping. Fortunately, the Shadow Stalker decided to take the rare opportunity, while Taylor was distracted, to take off and disappear rather than fight. Thoughts flooded into her mind, wondering if the man was trying to get himself killed. She was not too thrilled about being caught off guard in the first place and then being told that he had had the situation under control? Big no-no for her. Trying to keep the urge from kicking his ass, the man introduced himself as Alec Abrams. Abrams. Abrams. The name had sounded familiar to her, and she knew if given a minute she could place the name. Hitting her like a brick wall, she recognized him as a member of the families she had been looking for. He ended up being her first friend in Seattle, and opening a new door that brought her away from being a Hunter 24/7.

From that point forward, she proceeded to meet members of the other families and get to know them outside of the “supernatural” world. Being invited to the Manor was a different experience for her – meeting the people she would be out protecting every night. They seemed like one unified family; dysfunctional, but unified. It was strange for her to get back into getting lunch or having dinner with someone to have fun, something part of her yearned for and wished she had more often. It was a feeling of normalcy that she hadn’t had since she was thirteen years old that was so addicting to her. However, every night she was rudely reminded how dangerous Seattle could be and how important it was to be at the top of her game. While she fought at night and trained during the day, she got close to one person in particular: Brayden Abrams – the oldest brother of the Abrams’ family.

Not one to put someone in danger, Taylor was hesitant to start bringing someone in on her hunts. She was supposed to be protecting him and his family along with the others and she couldn’t do that if she had him to worry about when he was with her. He proved to be a great person to have by her side and be willing to learn what had taken her years. The way he seemed to retain all the information and use it as an advantage along with his powers amazed her. The war was becoming more and more dominant as the days went on. Nights were filled with battles and Taylor would come home a walking bruise. As much as she tried not to bring Brayden along with her patrolling, it was inevitable and she didn’t trust anyone more to come out and be by her side. On the rare occasion that there was a slow night, the two talked about more personal topics ranging from families to hobbies outside of the hunt which would solidify their bond as friends. However, those days became few and far between as the war seemed to be reaching its peak. The Shadowkind seemed to be getting more daring and not too preoccupied with whether they lived or died. At night it seemed to be a whole different world where creatures seemed to come out of every corner. It was something Taylor kept an eye on and wouldn’t let get any more out of hand than it already had. It was now that people needed her most and she wasn’t about to let anyone down.

It only took one day for their world to get turned upside down. Taylor had offered to come to the Manor and work with Brayden in the backyard. What seemed like a relaxing day turned into hell in such a short amount of time that to this day still blows her mind. Shadowkind flooded the Estate with everyone caught off guard and unprepared for what was about to happen. With weapons at her side, she fought tooth and nail to keep the creatures from completely overtaking the Manor but she knew it was too late. Arcanists were dying and it felt like her best wasn’t good enough when it came to protecting them. She got her fair share of kills but so did they and then some. The explosion pierced through her ears as she watched the Estate go into nothing but scraps. The faces of the Arcanists flashed in her mind, knowing they were in there – Lorelei, Cathrine, Alec, Zac, all people she had come to know and consider friends. This was it, this was why the Shadowkind seemed so comfortable with coming out at night. It made sense and even though she worked so hard to prevent this moment, it was here. The lives of many were going to be decided right then and there. Before even having a chance to see where Brayden was, he had gone and run into the house. Letting these monsters go passed her was not a question knowing that she had people she cared about in what remained of the Manor. She knew they could handle themselves, but adding more to the already overwhelming number inside would not help those chances of anyone getting out alive. When the onslaught of Shadowkind seemed to subside outside, she was hit by something else and had to endure staying outside a little bit longer. It wasn’t until she saw sparks coming from the Manor that she broke away from the backyard. Running inside, she saw Brayden surrounded by his own magic and striking down those around him. Her eyes filled with worry as she saw her best friend using up what seemed to be everything he had. With nothing better in mind, she ended up tackling him to the ground before any real damage was done. “Don’t you dare,” were the three words she’d managed to say before watching him go unconscious before her eyes. Her job wasn’t done yet – lives were still at stake and they needed her now. Not moving far from Brayden’s side, she watched one by one as the creatures fell by the hands of the remaining family members and her. The first wave seemed to be over but it didn’t come without its casualties. With all the adrenaline pumping, she hadn’t realized how hurt she actually was until they had a chance to breathe. Death and pain hung in the air as the remaining few looked around to see the damage done. If the first wave was done, there would be more coming – and they couldn’t risk that. It was time to go.

Eldritch
Bruised, battered, and broken Brayden, Cathrine, and Taylor followed both Lorelei and Gavin to Sunset Glave, Florida. The move was a painful reminder of the events that had recently taken place and anywhere they went would come trouble. Taylor relived that day in her mind over and over thinking that maybe there had been something different she could have done. So many people had been lost in the battle and it seemed like all the hunting she had did, night after night, it did nothing to prevent the attack. However, they were there now and it was their time to regroup and try to get back on their feet somehow. It seemed impossible, but every day seemed to be a step closer to her nights in Seattle. The first couple of weeks were tough since she was still recovering from the gashes and bruises she acquired through the battle but she made it a point to go out every night and even scout during the day to make sure everything seemed in place. She was sick and tired of losing people she cared about and feeling like anything she did wasn’t good enough. No matter how hard she seemed to hunt, no matter how many Shadowkind she killed – they would still be there, haunting her dreams and becoming nightmares. Her job was becoming engrained into her life, becoming an everyday task – waking up every morning feeling the need to make sure nothing happened while she was asleep.

Brayden and Taylor seemed to pick up right where they left off, training whenever they got the chance. Through different techniques and weapons training, both of them had an outlet of what they were feeling. Frustration being poured out through their fists and concerns talked about when they took a break from their sessions. He became a close friend and she felt that that was the only thing she could hold on to. It was the one thing she continued to have throughout this whole experience – a friend she could train with and talk to.

It wasn’t too long before the nights turned into those of Seattle; more Shadowkind showed up every night and Taylor knew exactly what that meant. The more creatures that came, the more danger the remaining Arcanists and her were. It didn’t come to much surprise when the “Second Wave” came. Taylor was out and on the other side of town as a repeat of Seattle unfolded before her eyes. This time, she was more prepared, knowing the signs that led up to the attack. As the minutes passed, a couple became several, several became many, and many became too much for one person to handle. It only took one time for a demon to run her through with its spear- like appendages to knock her off her game. Blood seeped through her shirt as she lost her strength; it was as if each passing minute signified everything she had worked for. As strength left her body, so did the hope of her saving anyone else. Taking out a couple of Shadowkind on her way out of the red-zone, she staggered to a vacant lot where she would let unconsciousness take over her body and give her the peace she had been eager to feel for all these years.

Next thing she knew, she woke up to blips on a monitor and IV leads in her arm. She had no idea where she was but all she knew was that she had to get back to Sunset Glave. A nurse came in explaining her situation. There was something about a nice man and bringing her here because she was hurt. She had been out for a day?! Screw that! Her friends were still where she needed to get and she was in a panic when she sat up. Sitting up quickly was probably not the smartest move in the world but she couldn’t be in a hospital, not after what just happened. Pain filled her body but she ignored it as she took the IVs out of her arm and got out of bed. Being the pain in the ass patient that she was, she told the nurse that she was fine and she had things to do. It didn’t blow over to well when the security guard twice her size got a broken nose out of the deal. Hey, that’s what you get when you try and stop someone when they have places to be.

When she finally arrived back at the community, nothing had been there. No sign of anyone and everything seemed to be destroyed. As she looked to the emptiness, she thought of what had happened. No reported bodies found and everyone assumed dead. This had been it – the end of it all; the families destroyed. The one job she was sent to do and was entrusted with seemed to be a disaster. The pain of losing the rest of them was more than she could bear. It reminded her why getting close would always turn out bad in the end. When you let people in is when you get hurt the most when they disappear. With the events that happened in Seattle and now those in Sunset Glave, it seemed to help her become more disconnected from that of the “normal” world. There was no need for her to get close to anyone or even establish herself in one particular place. It was easier to get the job done and move on. In her mind, the moment she starts caring is the moment things get complicated and her mind is unfocused. Hunting would become an outlet for her – trying to find trouble anywhere it was willing to hide.

Pre-Alchemy: Incantare Legends
As the months past, her physical wounds healed but the emotional scars had made themselves known. She had gotten good at finding Shadowkind where ever they would leave a trail. Tracking had become somewhat of a hobby for her as she passed the time. City after city, she would come in and stay for a couple of weeks and take care of what she needed to do, then leave before anyone suspected anything. People went on with their everyday lives and children were told that the monsters under their bed weren’t real. After everything was said and done, it was time to pack up and move to a place that seemed to have activity. The hurt went away and showed itself in her hunts, fighting for those lost and those still left to save. Her jobs would bring her all over the country, and this case was no different. Newspaper clippings were put together and if it didn’t scream “I’m actually a Shadowkind, come kill me!”, she didn’t know what would. A string of “animal attacks” and weird sightings would bring her to her next destination: Los Angeles, California.